Rectangular condenser for pin drafters



1953 J. R. LONGSTREET RECTANGULAR CONDENSER FOR PIN DRAFTERS Filed July 22, 1948 INVENTOR. JFIMES R. LEIN STREET BY i Patented Dec. 8, 1953 RECTANGULAR CONDENSER FOR PIN DRAFTERS James R. Longstreet, Maple Heights, Ohio, as-

signor to The Warner & Swasey Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application July 22, 1948, Serial No. 40,134

4 Claims.

fibers of the sliver and make the sliver uniform in dimension to improve the action of the faller bar pins on the sliver as the latter is drafted therethrough. Prior condensers disposed in the aforesaid location have presented a round or oval mouth or orifice to the sliver, and although such condensers do produce a more uniform and compact sliver for drafting than would be produced if the condensers were omitted, still the prior condensers have certain disadvantages.

It is understood that the pins and faller bars of the pin drafter move with the sliver and in effect carry it through the machine. However, as the pins are withdrawn at the exit end of the pin drafter, drafting rolls draw the sliver and elongate it and thin it because such rolls move at a linear speed greater than that of the faller bars. Thus, short sections of the sliver are successively drafted and, if the sliver is of oval cross section the edges thereof. being thinner and containing fewer fibers, will be drawn or drafted to a greater degree than will the balance of the sliver. This produces a, sliver in which the fiber density is non-uniform after drafting whereas one of the purposes of the pre-weaving preparation operations is to produce slivers that can be formed into yarn having a uniform cross section.

It is a purpose of this invention to produce uniformly drafted slivers, and I have found that this can be accomplished by placing a novel condenser before the pin drafters which presents an oblong or rectangular throat to the sliver. Thus the fibers are compressed and compacted in the condenser so that they enter the pin drafter in the form of a, ribbon of substantially rectangular cross section. Under these conditions, as the sliver is drafted from the pins all fibers are drawn to the same degree and a drafted sliver of uniform cross-sectional density is obtained.

Another object resides in insuring that the condenser eifects a uniform compacting of the fibers in both planes. In the preferred form this is accomplished by providing a deflecting plate above a transporting belt which presents a tapered mouth to the slivers and compacts them uniformly in the vertical plane. This plate, when operated in conjunction with rounded vertical edge bars, produces a sliver which has substantially vertical edges and flat top and bottom surfaces for the purpose described.

Another object resides in providing for altering the width of the sliver, which is accomplished by making the edges of the condenser in the form of bars that can be adjustably brought closer together or separated according to the desired width of sliver. Similarly, the vertical dimension of the sliver can be controlled by either bending the deflecting plate or providing a series of plates having different throat angles.

The manner in which these and other objects are accomplished will be completely understood from the following detailed description of a pre ferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a general view of a pin drafting ma chine showing the position of the condenser ahead of the pin drafters. Since the actual drafting mechanism may be of any well-known designs and the details thereof are not critical to the invention the mechanism itself is not illustrated in the drawings; 4

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section taken on 22 of Fig. 1; and,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section taken on 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the pin drafting machine indicated generally at I 0 contains the pin drafting mechanism which is not illustrated in detail but is indicated diagrammatically by dotted lines representing the upper and lower drafting pins P. There is the usual feed table indicated partially at I I, such details of the mechanism forming no part of the invention.

In order to carry the sliver S to the pin drafters an endless belt I2 is driven about rollers l3 and I4 and supports the sliver. A pinch roller 16 is preferably provided to assist in drawing the sliver from its can. likewise shown are the drafting rolls l'l, I8 and I!) which cooperate to draft the sliver from the pins on the faller bars, the details of the drafting forming no part of the present invention.

The invention resides in the location and construction of the condenser. The condenser includes an upper deflecting plate 20 and a pair of deflecting edge bars 2|, all of which cooperate with the belt l2 to form a rectangular mouth that moulds and compacts the sliver. The shape of the mouth is best seen in Fig. 2 wherein the sliver has been omitted for clarity.

Referring to the details of the preferred embodiment, a pair of rails 22 assist in guiding the belt l2 and form a channel for reception of the sliver. The deflecting plate 20 has a pair of ears 23 by which the plate is bolted or otherwise fastened to rails 22 by means of fastener 24. I prefer that the deflecting plate be bent as best seen in Fig. 1 to provide an entry throat 26 and a compacting exit throat plate 27.

In order to mount the edge bars 2|, frame brackets 30 may be provided to which is fastened a cross piece 3| for suspending the bars 2| by means of bolts 33. In order to provide for adjustment of the bars, cross piece 31 is slotted as at 32 to receive the clamp bolts 33 which bolts are preferably received in threaded openings in the upper portion 34 of the bars 2|, The portion of each bar engaged by the sliver is rounded as shown at 35 to form a tapering throat in the horizontal plane, corresponding to that formed by the deflecting plate 20 in the vertical plane.

In operation, as the sliver S is fed onto the belt l2it is generally of irregular cross section and the fibers are not uniformly disposed. However, as the sliver passes through the condenser the throat plate 27 compacts the fibers in the vertical plane and they thereafter passbetween the rounded edge portions 35 of bars 2i which cooperate to compress the fibers displaced by the action of plate 21 and mold them into square corners so that the cross section of the sliver after leaving the condenser is that of a rectangle with its largest dimension parallel to the face of belt 12. Thus, as the draft rolls ll, [8 and I9 draft the sliver from the pins in the pin drafter, the sliver is uniformly drafted throughout its cross section resulting in an improved and more uniform sliver that facilitates the production of yarn by the conditioning operations that follow.

Although I have shown a preferred embodiment of the invention in detail, it is understood that various details thereof such as themounting of the condenser parts and their design may be modified without departing from the essence of the invention which is the introduction of a sliver of uniform cross section, depth, and width to the pins in the pin drafting machine in order to insure a uniform drafing of the sliver. Accordingly, I contemplate that the following claims and not the aforesaid embodiment be determinative of the scope of my invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a gill box having a frame, sliver feeding mechanism for said gill box comprising belt means to transport a sliver of material to the gill box, guide rails for a sliver disposed to each side of said belt, an upper plate removably atached to and bridging said rails and disposed at the entrance to the gill box, said plate having a portion directed toward the sliver transport belt to form a throat, brackets in said gill box frame, laterally-spaced edge bars, and means supporting said bars on said brackets, said bars having portions perpendicular to said sliver transport belt and positioned adjacent said plate to engage and contract the sliver edges.

2. In combination, a gill box having a frame, sliver feeding mechanism for said gill box comprising belt means to transport a sliver of material to the gill box, guide rails for a sliver disposed to each side of said belt, an upper plate removably attached to and bridging said rails and disposed at the entrance to the gill box, said plate having a portion directed toward the sliver transport belt to form a throat, brackets in said gill box frame, a cross-piece bridging said brackets, and laterally-spaced edge bars adjustably mounted on said cross-piece, said bars having portions perpendicular to said sliver transport belt and positioned forwardly of said plate to engage and contract the sliver edges.

3. In combination, a gill box having a frame and drafting pins, sliver feeding mechanism for said gill box comprising belt means to transport a sliver of material to the gill box, guide rails for sliver disposed along each side of said belt, an upper plate bridging said rails and disposed at the entrance to the gill box, said plate having a portion directed toward the sliver transport belt to form a condensing throat, brackets in said gill box frame, laterally'spaced edge bars, and means supporting said bars on said brackets, said bars having portions perpendicular to said belt and positioned adjacent to and between said plate and said drafting pins. 7 v

4. Sliver feeding mechanism for a gill box comprising sliver transport means comprising a member having a substantially flat surface for carrying the sliver, one end of said transport member being adapted to be positioned adjacent the drafting pins of the gill box, means comprising a stationary member positioned at said end of the transport member and having at least a portion thereof parallel to the surface of said transport member, and means comprising stationary members disposed adjacent to said first-named stationary member and spaced apart a distance less than the width of the said transport member and having portions thereof substantially perpendicular to the surface of said transport member for confining the edges of the sliver whereby the sliver is formed with a substantially uniform rectangular cross section before entering the gill box.

JAMES R. LONGSTREET.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 Number Name Date. 86,954 Tangee Feb. 16, 1869 146,816 Frye Jan. 27, 1874 392,275 Lawton Nov. 6, 1888 919,008 I-Iarrop et al Apr. 20, 1909 1,497,306 Schlumberger Jan. 10, 1924 1,499,607 Dawson July 1,1924 2,005,209 Whitaker June 18,1935 2,067,827 Carliss Jan. 12, 1937 2,130,599 Redman Sept. 20, 1938 2,498,364 Fraser Feb. 21, 1950 Y FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 7,282 Switzerland Sept. 1, 1893 8,810 Great Britain of 1841 10,252 Great Britain of 1891 

